EXECUTION OF MORELOS. 439 



of retaliation, put to death five hundred 

 royalist prisoners, who were then at Aca- 

 pulco. 



A Congress was assembled at Chilpan- 

 singo, which afterwards removed its sittings 

 to Ohio, and subsequently to Apatzingan ; 

 and which, after declaring Mexico inde- 

 pendent, formed a constitution, which was 

 presented to the people on the 23d of Oc- 

 tober 1814. 



Morelos was defeated by the royalists at 

 Atacama, in October 1815, and being taken 

 prisoner, was shot at the village of San 

 Christobal, six leagues from Mexico. The 

 Mexican Congress, then sitting at Tehua- 

 can, endeavoured in vain to save his life, 

 by making a strong representation, on the 

 17th of November 1815, to Calleja, who 

 had succeeded as Viceroy. 



Very soon afterwards, the patriots having 

 disagreed amongst themselves, Don M. Teran 



